Study Abroad Resources

Useful Study Abroad Links

On-Line Cross-Cultural Orientation

What's Up With Culture? Outgoing MSU students are strongly encouraged to work through this website to help prepare them for their international experience and to minimize culture shock. We recommend that you do this program in stages. Plan to complete module one before you come to the study abroad pre-departure orientation in November or April.

Diversity in Study Abroad

Diversity Abroad: International experiences have had a tremendous effect on the personal and professional lives of countless minority business professionals, entertainers, athletes, as well as community and government leaders.While no place is completely free from discrimination, many minority students discover less discrimination abroad than at their home universities.

The Project for Learning Abroad, Training and Outreach facilitates a website designed to promote study abroad participation among underrepresented students, addressing some of the issues and challenges ethnicity may play in their study abroad experience and linking them to additional information, resources and scholarships.

Smarter Travel is a good sight for news about flight sales, international and domestic.

STA Travel is one of the best places to look for cheap tickets. They sometimes have discounts for students and allow a search for an "open-jawed" ticket, which allows travelers to leave from one destination, travel overland, and return from a different destination. Very useful.

Travel Insurance

Minnesota State Mankato students studying abroad for any length of time, including short-term study tours, are required under MnSCU policy to be covered international insurance. The International Programs Office automatically orders insurance for students through one of two policies depending on the type of program and destination country. The only exception is for students participating in a study abroad company program (AIFS, ASA, ISA/GlobaLinks, LdM). International insurance coverage is typically included in the program fee paid directly by the student to the study abroad company.

HTH Worldwide Insurance: Most students will be covered by HTH insurance while abroad. HTH offers in-network doctors, clinics and hospitals around the world, as well as access for plan-holders to in-country health, medical & emergency services information, prescription medicine conversions (different countries use different brand names of common prescription medicines), and medical term/phrase translations for various languages.

International Student Identification Card (ISIC): Some countries require international students to purchase student insurance coverage in that country. Unfortunately such plans typically do not include coverage required by MnSCU for certain major events (i.e. evacuation for political unrest or natural disasters). In an effort to ensure coverage for such major events but also avoid having our students pay twice for full insurance plans, for students participating in certain programs, we will instead order the ISIC card. Programs for which ISIC is ordered for students by the International Programs Office include University of South Australia exchange, buro302 HAN University internship exchange, and Spain locations of the Estudio Sampere Spanish language abroad program. As well as international insurance coverage, this card provides the holder with many student discounts abroad.